New Delhi: BJP cited the Tamil Nadu High Court decision allowing the continuation of the lamp lighting custom at Thiruparandkundram hill associated with Lord Murugan to slam the DMK-Congress government’s apprehensions of a law and order situation arising from it and alleged that Stalin’s dispensation is anti-Hindu and is engaging in appeasement politics ahead of the assembly elections.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, the BJP in-charge of Tamil Nadu, welcomed the decision of Justice GR Swaminathan for “reaffirming religious freedom” and emphasised that the electorate will “decisively reject” the politics of Stalin, and his son Udhayanidhi. He strongly condemned calls from DMK to move an impeachment motion against the judge.
“DMK and its leaders have consistently berated, derided and attacked Sanatana Dharma, so much so that on September 2, 2023, Udhayanidhi made an audacious and reprehensible demand for the eradication of Sanatana Dharma itself,” Goyal said, adding that the centuries-old practice of lighting the lamp at Thiruparankundram was prevented due to this mindset. The last event was to be held on December 4.
Goyal termed the DMK government’s decision to appeal against the high court decision as “extremely unfortunate” and one that reflected the “anti-Hindu mindset” of the dispensation. “In fact, it shows the hatred that Stalin, Udhayanidhi, DMK and their friends in the INDI Alliance have against Hindu dharma,” he said.
Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu are likely to be announced in the last week of February.
The minister displayed the impeachment motion document against Justice Swaminathan to attack the INDI Alliance partners. “This impeachment motion has been submitted by different MPs of the INDI Alliance, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, Dharmendra Yadav and Dimple Yadav, Supriya Sule (NCP-SP), Arvind Sawant (SS-UBT) and A Raja (DMK), who are all at the forefront of this anti-Hindu effort,” Goyal said.
He lamented that Justice Swaminathan has been called “anti-secular, one who is politically biased towards a particular political ideology” and accused of favouritism by DMK leaders for his judgement on this issue. He saw this as an attempt to deter other judges from giving such judgements.
Goyal hailed the verdict of a division bench, comprising Justice G Jayachandran and Justice KK Ramakrishnan of Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, giving directions that the sentiments of the local people who believe in this tradition should be respected.
BJP dismissed the apprehensions of the DMK government that a law and order situation may arise if this practice is continued as there is a dargah in the vicinity. Goyal referred to the high court’s observation in this regard that the “apprehension of law and order was an imaginary ghost created by the state authorities”.
“There have never been any problems in the past and this is only appeasement politics of the INDI Alliance. They are trying to appease members of one community to curry favour as there is a small dargah there,” Goyal said.
He alleged that the state government may sponsor a disturbance to support its anti-Hindu agenda.
“This is a party and a set of parties of the INDI Alliance who, when an order of the court does not suit them, attack the constitutional authority of the court, move impeachment motions in Parliament against judges and cast aspersions on their impartiality while claiming to uphold the Constitution,” Goyal said, adding that the coalition has done this in the case of the Election Commission of India as well.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, the BJP in-charge of Tamil Nadu, welcomed the decision of Justice GR Swaminathan for “reaffirming religious freedom” and emphasised that the electorate will “decisively reject” the politics of Stalin, and his son Udhayanidhi. He strongly condemned calls from DMK to move an impeachment motion against the judge.
“DMK and its leaders have consistently berated, derided and attacked Sanatana Dharma, so much so that on September 2, 2023, Udhayanidhi made an audacious and reprehensible demand for the eradication of Sanatana Dharma itself,” Goyal said, adding that the centuries-old practice of lighting the lamp at Thiruparankundram was prevented due to this mindset. The last event was to be held on December 4.
Goyal termed the DMK government’s decision to appeal against the high court decision as “extremely unfortunate” and one that reflected the “anti-Hindu mindset” of the dispensation. “In fact, it shows the hatred that Stalin, Udhayanidhi, DMK and their friends in the INDI Alliance have against Hindu dharma,” he said.
Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu are likely to be announced in the last week of February.
The minister displayed the impeachment motion document against Justice Swaminathan to attack the INDI Alliance partners. “This impeachment motion has been submitted by different MPs of the INDI Alliance, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, Dharmendra Yadav and Dimple Yadav, Supriya Sule (NCP-SP), Arvind Sawant (SS-UBT) and A Raja (DMK), who are all at the forefront of this anti-Hindu effort,” Goyal said.
He lamented that Justice Swaminathan has been called “anti-secular, one who is politically biased towards a particular political ideology” and accused of favouritism by DMK leaders for his judgement on this issue. He saw this as an attempt to deter other judges from giving such judgements.
Goyal hailed the verdict of a division bench, comprising Justice G Jayachandran and Justice KK Ramakrishnan of Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, giving directions that the sentiments of the local people who believe in this tradition should be respected.
BJP dismissed the apprehensions of the DMK government that a law and order situation may arise if this practice is continued as there is a dargah in the vicinity. Goyal referred to the high court’s observation in this regard that the “apprehension of law and order was an imaginary ghost created by the state authorities”.
“There have never been any problems in the past and this is only appeasement politics of the INDI Alliance. They are trying to appease members of one community to curry favour as there is a small dargah there,” Goyal said.
He alleged that the state government may sponsor a disturbance to support its anti-Hindu agenda.
“This is a party and a set of parties of the INDI Alliance who, when an order of the court does not suit them, attack the constitutional authority of the court, move impeachment motions in Parliament against judges and cast aspersions on their impartiality while claiming to uphold the Constitution,” Goyal said, adding that the coalition has done this in the case of the Election Commission of India as well.
